Secret Weapon
by primevalyank
Summary: Jess has some surprising entries in her work history and resume. Becker finds himself working for his old commander on a mission in the field with an unexpected partner.
1. Chapter 1

Secret Weapon

This Jess/Becker story was inspired by an episode of another TV series but I won't reveal that till the end since it might give away some of the story…It should be about 6 or 7 chapters...so off we go….

The young field coordinator was sitting at her station when the alarms began to sound. Connor Temple, sitting across the main hub, quickly began to input a previously agreed upon set of letters and numerals that would lock down the information contained in his station. The coding essentially created a barrer against intruders who were attacking the ARC and attempting to access important information contained in the computers.

Simultaneously, Jess Parker accessed the ADD, the essential information hub, and began to transferfiles to a drive she created to remove sensitive files from main computer so that no one could use any of the programs to view data that could be used for non-ARC purposes. Malevolent individuals using the information to create anomalies or find anomalies to profit financially...or worse, attack their enemies. She rapidly typed in her access code as the countdown began.

Connor, working across the room, completed entering his data and exited the Hub, walking quickly to the access dor as others joined him.

Jess swore under her breath as an errant file halted the download. She restarted the process as she listened to countdown continue to single digits. Once the download was complete, she grabbed the drive from the computer and walked quickly to the doorway, only to narrowly miss being hit by the door as it slammed shut sealing her in the hub.

"Damn it!" she screamed loudly as she attempted to slow her breathing and think calmly. This was not the normal alarm indicating an anomaly. This was the intruder alert warning that meant armed individuals had been able to breach ARC security and were very likely heading to the Hub to gain access to the data contained there. Jess Parker was holding the drive that contained the information they would be looking for and she was standing in the middle of the room…..essentially looking like she should be wearing a large yellow sign that said "Victim – Here's the information you need. Now you can dispose of me." She rapidly glanced around the room, looking for a hiding place that might buy her time until the ARC soldiers could contain the threat and halt the intruder's progress to the Hub.

Hearing the sound of boots outside the main door and cursing the fact that she was wearing the pumps she had just purchased (on sale!) with a four inch heel, she hastily squeezed herself into one of the small open spaces under the desk at Becker's station and prayed the footsteps she heard outside the entry door would move into the next hall. Unfortunately, a simultaneous whooshing sound indicated the entrance to the Hub had opened and, if she was hearing correctly, three rather tall intruders were entering the room.

Jess slowed her breathing to conceal her position under the desk as much as possible. She watched as a large pair of black boots attached to pair of long legs walked slowly by the desk and stopped. She held her breath. …..The boots took two more steps and stopped again as a long arm reached under the desk and firmly encircled her wrist…..as Jess squeaked in protest, the long legs crouched down and a pair of hazel eyes and dark hair came into her field of view….

"Really, Jess?... Hiding under a desk?! ...This is how you're going to react in an ACTUAL attack on the ARC?... You know these drills are supposed to train you on how you ESCAPE from the hub during an attack!"

Becker's voice sounded loud and exasperated as if chastising a schoolgirl who had been caught skipping school on a sunny afternoon.

"Becker!" Jess sounded equally annoyed. "The program to transfer data to my mobile hard drive was interrupted by the program they are running for the drills! If that wasn't interfering, I would have had all the information downloaded and been out the door with Connor!"

The other Training officer, a soldier named Mike from another military post and in charge of this special training walked over to the couple and looked at Jess.

"Well, Miss Parker, the unfortunate thing is that you have all the information they need on your person right now and you might as well hand it right to them. Whether you escape isn't nearly as important as protecting the information they so desperately desire!"

Mike smiled broadly at the attractive field coordinator as he looked at her expectantly with his hand out, waiting for her to hand him the drive.

"Excuse me, but her escaping the hub IS a priority at this facility." Becker's normally placid expression was tinged with more than a small amount of irritation.

"Captain Becker…civilians need to protect the ARC as well as the military presence here. That includes the information contained on the disk drive she's precludes her personal safety.." The chief officer took the disk Jess handed him and shoved it into the nearby laptop as Becker opened his mouth to make a more vociferous protest. "And this is why...," explained the officer pointing triumphantly at the screen without looking...… as an animated GIF of a Japanese anime character jumped up and down on the monitor in front of them….

Hilary Becker raised one eyebrow and smirked sarcastically as he pointed to the screen. Michael J. MacLaren turned around to look at the computer screen. "But….how?...when did you,…" he sputtered.

Jess Parker smiled sweetly at the chief officer as Becker struggled to control his beginnings of a smile.

"I dumped the file into hard drive in the back of Becker's computer while I was hiding under the desk." Jess Parker self-satisfied grin widened a bit but it was met with two serious military men staring back with little sense of frivolity.

"Miss Parker," Officer MacLaren began, "We will run this drill until EVERY member of this facility completes it correctly….and that means all personnel make it out of the Hub before the access doors close….even if that means we are here the entire night!" He addressed his comm link. "Operations, set up the intruder alert scenario for the Hub again. We are repeating the drill immediately. Send civilian personnel back to the Hub." He tapped his comm with more force than necessary and strode out of the room crisply as Jess rolled her eyes and reached down to retrieve her drive.

"Jess," Becker intoned quietly, "I don't care how many times we do this. The important thing is you get safely out of the Hub with the information. MacLaren's right about everything but one. Your getting out safely IS my first priority…..." Becker caught himself and began to stutter, "I mean ARC personnel getting out is my first priority…and…well you have important information that we would need and…."

Jess decided to take pity on him and finished his rambling sentence.

"I know, Becker, it's just that I'm not exactly an ordered "military by the book" kind of person….I like to think outside the box….. make decisions based on options available to me….not follow a script . Life isn't really like that, is it…." She smiled at him as he gazed into her brilliant blue eyes and began to sway slightly toward her…..

"OK, let's run it again" MacLaren's booming voice cut into his reverie. He swiftly straightened and stepped back a step.

"Jess, you need to follow the script sometimes in these situations. You wouldn't last too long in the field if you don't" he said abruptly.

Jess rolled her eyes again and gave Becker a look that conveyed mute acceptance and something else he couldn't pin down

As Jess sat down at her station once again she felt her annoyance return. Becker didn't think she could survive out in the field? Didn't she coordinate the movements of men and women in the field every day? Officer MacLaren and Becker had no idea what field and survival skills she possessed because they assumed she sat at a desk in front of the computer…a techie…Well, if the opportunity ever arose, she'd show him….well, she'd show them….not that It matter WHAT Becker thought…well maybe it did matter to her but she promised herself she wasn't going to think about that…..for now…..or in the next few minutes…..not that she thought about Becker….at all….well most of the time…

The alarm klaxon repeated it's loud annoying clang as Jess Parker followed the script and began to download data onto her hard drive…..It was going to be a long night…


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Sorry I've taken a bit longer than usual to update….Holiday time here in the US and real life calls! Onward to the next chapter!

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Jess Parker wished she'd paid better attention in the self defense class she took several years ago. It was Day 2 of Special Training. This class focused on self defense and addressing physical incursions into the building.

She stared quietly up at the ceiling of the gym… My, my they really needed to get some ladders up there and dust those fans in the cooling vents…..She really needed to add that to her next building email. Her instructor stood over her patiently as she sat up from the mat and attempted to get back on her feet for more torturous "instruction" from a woman twice her size that was most certainly named Helga or Olga. She glanced at Connor across the room and rolled her eyes upward in a sign of commiseration as his instructor, a tall blonde who looked like she had just stepped out of an Olympic training facility, neatly flipped him over onto his back. Abby, working with another instructor, had already executed several well planned moves to toss her teacher quickly to the floor, much to his approval. Abby agreed to move among the students and help others who needed more work to master the technique. Jess was sure no amount of "technique" would help her sweep the lovely Helga off her feet. She felt extremely relieved when the entire class was informed that they were moving into the classroom for more lecture on the subject. Sitting in a classroom instead of laying on her back in a mat with a room full of workers staring at her inability to take down her opponent only bruised her already damaged ego. Connor slid into the chair next to her as each student was issued a tablet. Jess immediately began working to hack into the server to find out what other torture awaited them throughout the rest of the day. If she leaned back in her chair she could just see into the next room where Becker was leading a class on physical incursions with the soldiers at the ARC. He moved confidently and smoothly around the front of the room as he pointed to several illustrations on the Smartboard on the wall. Jess wondered what it would be like to have had Becker as one of her professors in her college classes…Becker lecturing in class every day, leaning over her desk to help her with her assignment, perhaps her hand accidentally grazing his black hair…scheduling a few private consultations during his university office hours….

"Ms. Parker!"

She was quickly drawn out of her reverie as the rather irritated Helga or Olga or whoever she was began calling her name to come to the front of the room for another demonstration of ineptitude….Connor shot her a look of sympathy as she stood up slowly and trudged to the front of the room for what was surely another tutorial in abject humiliation.

"Sorry, Jess…..you seem to be her favorite target today," whispered Connor.

Jess sighed as her upper lip curled slightly when she whispered "Well her credit rating is going to be my favorite target today if she keeps this up…"

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Hilary Becker walked around the room trying to look over his students' shoulders and pointing out inconsistencies and errors on their reports. Looking through the open door he could see the other classroom and a few of the desks in the back of the room. Connor and Jess were sitting together . Jess was wearing workout clothes with a bright blue jacket and trainers. The blue of the jacket accentuated her impossibly blue eyes against her pale face. As Jess leaned over to Connor to ask him a question he heard the instructor call her name at the front of the room. He could see her whole demeanor change as she slumped in her chair and began to walk to the front of the room. Though this training was required for all staff, Becker knew Jess' technology skills wouldn't help her complete these training exercises. He knew her incredibly quick mind was an immense asset at the ARC. Her ability to assess situations and find solutions in the shortest possible time saved many lives at the ARC. One of his soldiers leaned forward to watch Jess get out of her chair and walk to the front of the room. He leaned over to the soldier at the next desk.

"Hey, Sean, is that Jess, the Field Coordinator? I've never met her in person. She really saved our ass last month at that anomaly in Brighton. Wow….I had no idea she looked like that!"

He leaned farther forward to watch her walk to the front of the room. The soldier startled suddenly as a rather large volume of text was dropped onto his desk several inches from his face. He looked up surprised as his Captain leaned down to point to the paperwork on his desk.

"Listen, Wilson, instead of leering at personnel in the other class, you'd better focus your attention on your work or you'll find yourself on clean up duty for the next month….."

Jimmy Wilson quickly sat up in his seat and shuffled his papers to project some semblance of being engrossed in his work. Sam Miller leaned over as the captain walked away.

"Man, you picked the wrong woman to ogle with the captain standing right there, Jimmy!"

Wilson looked over at his friend.

"Jess Parker? And Captain Becker?" He seemed puzzled.

"Well yes and no." Sam grinned. "Captain Becker's more than a little protective of her. Last week, Jack Thompson asked her if she needed help carrying stuff out to her car and then asked her for her phone number. Becker moved him out of the building to do guard duty for a week. He may not know it yet but most of his men know exactly where the Captain's interest lies…..He just hasn't figured it out himself yet."

Jimmy Wilson grimaced. "Well I hope he figures it out soon because I don't want to make THAT mistake again." He turned to his manual and began reviewing the information on the page.

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Connor sat at the back of the room watching Jess walk back to her seat. As she slid into her chair he gave her a smile of encouragement.

"Well that wasn't so bad! At least you didn't end up on the floor this time!" he whispered.

Jess grimaced and leaned back in her chair.

"This day just keeps getting better and better."

She rummaged through her purse in hopes of finding the leftover half of a chocolate bar she'd wrapped up and stashed there for emergencies. Her cell phone suddenly began to vibrate loudly as she quickly grabbed it out of her purse and casually glanced at the number displayed.

Her eyes widened as she stared at a number not unfamiliar to her but one she had not seen in a few years. This was a call she knew she had to take. She slipped quietly out of her seat and walked into the hall. Five minutes later, with a quick nod to Connor, she grabbed her jacket from the back of the chair and walked rapidly out of the classroom. Connor stared after her wondering what emergency at the hub had occurred to send her running off so quickly…and hoping that she would need his help in the next few minutes…..anywhere else in the building where large women wouldn't be throwing him onto gym mats.

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Becker walked across the hall at the end of his class. The civilian class was just ending and he was hoping to get a chance to talk to Jess…just to give her some encouragement and maybe lift her spirits with the chocolate bar he'd stashed in his pocket that morning. He was doing his job….boosting the morale of his team….that was all…..

He glanced around the room, not seeing her, and walked over to Connor who was walking back from the mats in front of the room.

"Hey, Connor….How's the class going?"

Connor made his best effort not to appear as irritated as he felt. After all, it wasn't Becker's fault he'd been thrown into this annoying training.

"It's going….." He joined Becker walking out of the room toward the break room.

"Jess went on up to the break room?" Becker tried to keep his voice casual.

Connor smirked but answered honestly. "I don't know. She got some emergency phone call and left pretty quickly…. Must be some tech thing with the ADD."

Becker stopped walking. Usually he was informed of any major security glitches at the Hub. He decided to take the lift up there and find out what was happening. He needed to stay on top of any computer issues that might interfere with training exercises. When he reached the Hub he was surprised to find Sylvia at the ADD performing a routine diagnostic.

"Did Jess solve that problem you were having already?" Becker queried.

Sylvia looked up. "What problem?" When she noticed it was Becker she subconsciously smoothed back the stray hair that had fallen forward and smiled up at him.

"The one they called Jess up to fix…" He frowned.

"No problems I'm aware of. We're just running a diagnostic program. Anything else I can help you with, Captain Becker?" her smile grew a little wider.

"No thanks."

He turned quickly and walked away from the ADD to his station. After a few seconds his computer quickly booted up and he began to search personnel location. A few seconds later his frown deepened. According to the security program, Jess Parker was no longer at the ARC. What emergency would have called her away without a word to anyone. He made the decision to go right to the top and strode into Lester's office. He convinced himself that, as head of security, it was important to keep track of his people….yes, that was it…all part of the job.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Hilary Becker walked purposefully toward James Lester's office. His boss had been in meetings all day and but he hoped to catch him before he left for the next one. Becker knew he was overreacting concerning Jess leaving the facility so suddenly but he couldn't shake the feeling something more than a simple minor emergency had prompted her swift departure. She was most assuredly dedicated to her job. He had seen her sitting at her station fighting a bout with the flu when most people would have never made it out of bed to the front door, yet, there she'd been coordinating a team that was closing an anomaly that had suddenly appeared in a nearby village.

As he turned the corner walking toward Lester's office he nearly ran into Abby as she came around the corner.

"Hey, Abby" he carefully schooled his voice to sound randomly casual. "I noticed Jess took off pretty quickly earlier. I needed to go over some software we'll need for the rest of the training. Do you know when she'll be back?"

Abby looked up at Becker. No amount of military training Becker had received in interrogation techniques and subterfuge could hide his personal concern from Abby. She'd worked with animals all her life and had developed a sixth sense concerning the emotion and motivation of people as well as animals. It was this skill that allowed her to immediately identify the threat that Phillip Burton represented in the nearly world ending anomaly that later occurred almost ending life as they knew it.

To Abby, Becker was very much an open book. No amount of general disinterest he intentionally inflected into his speech patterns could pass by her radar. Becker was a military man through and through and after losing two members of their team in previous years (one later returning for a bit much to the relief of the team) he had carefully cordoned off his emotions from the others in the group. Jess Parker was a completely different story. Abby would have placed a large bet that Becker and the colorful field coordinator would have been a case of two opposites who just couldn't quite get along. Interestingly, it was completely different than Abby had envisioned. After an initial wariness around her, he seemed to gravitate to the Hub more often. A few weeks after she and the new staff arrived, Abby almost fainted in surprise one day when leaving the ARC. She remembered she'd forgotten a laptop she needed for a report. Running back into the building while Connor retrieved his car, she noticed movement in the Hub when most of the day staff had left. It was Becker placing a chocolate bar in a cubby at Jess' station where she kept a few personal items. Now Becker was standing in front of her feigning apathy over Jess' whereabouts….Abby let a small smile appear on her placid face….sure…..a software program…well played, Becker…..well played.

"Connor said something about a minor emergency she had. She didn't say too much when she left. I'm sure if it was something major she would have let us know."

Becker looked unconvinced.

"Well, I do need to get that …..software. I'd better check with Lester to find out when she'll be back." Becker stepped aside to move around Abby as the beginnings of a smirk appeared on her face.

"Of course, Becker. You do that…" Abby let the smallest bit of sarcasm creep into her voice, which Becker chose to ignore.

He turned away from Abby and resumed his course toward Lester's office. When he arrived, he made sure to glance through the large plate glass window before he entered so as not to interrupt any meetings that might be occurring in his boss' office. James Lester was sitting in his dark leather chair perusing the screens of two computers. He glanced up as Becker walked through the door.

"Captain Becker…..is the training for ARC personnel progressing well? Your here, obviously, so there must be something you need from me." Lester turned away from the military man and began to type information into one of the laptops.

"The training is going well, I think. Some of the trainers are a little "exuberant" when training our civilian employees but overall I think it's valuable information. Actually, the reason I'm here is that I need software for the training and I can't seem to find Jess Parker anywhere at the ARC.

Lester looked up with his trademark apathetic expression. "Captain, I'm sure Temple is still on the premises. I'm sure he can help you with your software problem." Lester turned back to his work.

Becker's eyebrows arranged themselves into the beginnings of a scowl. "But, sir, I really think Ms. Parker is the person who knows the software I need."

The leader of the ARC team sighed dramatically as he leaned back in his chair and stared up at the waiting man. The captain was fooling no one except for himself. Lester knew exactly why he was in his office. Becker must had seen Parker leaving that afternoon and now was trying to glean information on the status of the field coordinator.

"Miss Parker is indisposed to complete any ARC business at this time. It seems there has been a minor family emergency and she won't be returning until next week. Now…..is there any other information you need Captain Becker that couldn't be answered by some underling that works for me? I know this may be shocking to you but with Ms. Parker gone my paperwork has strangely doubled and I thought perhaps I might finish this so that we might actually receive the supplies we requested last month!" Lester's voice became louder at the end of his statements and Becker knew he had worn out his welcome in his boss' office.

He cleared his throat as he stepped back from the desk. "I'll just….see if I can track down Temple for that …um ….software." Becker turned and walked swiftly out of Lester's office.

At least he knew that Jess was all right and the emergency was not a major one. As he stood in the hallway, he heard his mobile beep quietly indicating a text. He began walking toward the Hub as he glanced at the message. It was from his commander in his previous military assignment. Commander Barton was a high ranking official who oversaw British military operations all over the world. Becker had been called in to work a short term assignment in Afghanistan a year ago. The text seemed to indicate that Becker needed to pay a visit to Barton in the immediate future. He quickly texted him back and walked back into Lester's office to advise him of the orders he had just received. Lester was ending a phone call with someone from the ministry and silently reached into a drawer on his desk as he handed Becker the paperwork he needed to sign for leave of absence.

"Best of luck, Captain. We'll see you upon your return." Lester stood up and shook Becker's hand. Becker nodded, signed the paper, and walked out of the office toward the parking lot. Training would have to wait. Barton never called him unless it was a mission with a high priority. He just hoped it didn't involve a long absence from the ARC.

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I know this chapter's a bit short...apologies...but I wanted to get this chapter up before I go out of town for a few days. Next week I promise a longer and more interesting chapter...this one's a bit chatty! Thanks to those reviewing. I love reading them...


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

Hilary Becker parked his truck near an inconspicuous unmarked building and strode quickly into a side door. Once inside the door a woman sitting at a desk held out a hand for the paperwork he was carrying. She carefully scrutinized the papers before hitting a button under her desk that opened a locked door at the end of the hallway. Once inside the door, he heard several sets of bolts click once again into place. In front of him was a long hallway, well lit, with white walls and numbered doors without any designation of name or organization that was contained inside. After walking down the long hall, he made a right turn and stopped before a door with the number 16 on it. Entering the room, he saw a familiar figure sitting at a desk in a padded chair looking down at a computer monitor. Commander James Barton looked up as Becker walked in and stood up at his desk as he reached out with his hand to shake Becker's.

"Becker, thanks for coming. I did tell James Lester thanks for loaning you to us for a bit."

Becker gave his superior a nod and sat down in front of the desk waiting for the commander to fill him in on what was happening and why he was called into his former operations office. The commander leaned back in his chair as he put his hands together.

"Do you remember that mission about 3 years ago in Afghanistan when the terrorist group Red Line stole the codes for our defense systems?"

Becker looked up in deep thought. He remembered how close his team had come to being trapped in one of the group's headquarters. Luckily, HQ had used a new computer specialist, codenamed Tenshi, who had shut down their weapons system from a remote location long enough for his team to to make it out. It had been close but Becker and his men had all made it out due in no small part to the talented hacker. He'd never met the man but knew he hadn't heard the name for several years so he assumed he had either been killed or moved to a different occupation.

" Yes, we were really lucky on that one. That tech guy, Tenshi hacked into their system and made their defense systems blind to us so we could cross the border. I thought Red Line was an inactive terrorist cell now"

"Well they were, but it seems some of their members have moved into Kazakhstan just over the Russian border and set up shop. Our intelligence is telling us they purchased dangerous software recently from a member of the old Soviet Regime. If they are able to introduce it via a virus into our database it could have devastating consequences to our soldiers stationed in the Middle East and Europe. Our air defense would be particularly vulnerable. Any flights within that zone could experience on board computer failures. I don't have to explain to you the devastating consequences in that scenario.

Becker nodded as Barton continued.

"I've contacted Stephen Tillerman and he has contacted Tenshi. We need to get him into Kazakhstan. We have a contact there who has a password into their database. If we can get Tenshi to our contact, he'll use the contact's password to disable the entire program.

"Why can't he disable the program remotely?" Becker looked quizzically at his commander.

"The program can't be accessed outside of the center of the city…too many firewalls. We also don't want to leave any trail to follow from our "visit."

"Who is Tenshi? Why haven't I heard anything about him in the last couple years?

The commander smiled. "I have no idea who he is. Stephen Tillerman is the only person who has worked with him. He worked with Tenshi at Cambridge and hit upon the idea of using him in a few missions several years ago. Stephen never reveals the identities of any of his tech guys…..says it's the best way to protect them. He hasn't mentioned him for several years. My guess is he has moved on to another branch of government work or he's left the tech field….who knows?"

Barton's face became more serious as he looked down at the laptop on his desk. "Red Line has set up shop in Altana in Kazakhstan. They've got a programmer who has created this virus. If we can get our tech man into their system he could be able to disable it. Tillerman has recruited Tenshi for one last mission and my assignment is to provide security and an escort to get him to Kazakhstan as well as facilitate his meeting with our contact. I immediately thought of you." Barton nodded his head. "You were always one of the best I worked with, Becker. In addition, you have a contact in that region, Vasily, that could aid you in getting to the city our contact

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, sir, but this Tenshi isn't military, right? I mean, isn't this going to be like babysitting. If we get into trouble he might be a liability. I don't fancy carrying some guy around who's scared out of his mind because he's not used to dangerous operations."

Barton smiled slightly. "Tillerman says he's more than capable. According to him, he's working in a rather dangerous assignment right now so this shouldn't be completely new to him. As I've said before, I've never met him but you should probably meet him right now. Stephen left him down in his office working on some program on a computer in the tech office. Why don't you go downstairs and introduce yourself to him. Then the two of you can figure out what materials we need to requisition for you."

Barton stood and reached out his hand to shake Becker's. "Thank you for coming, Becker. I knew I wanted my best man on this, even if it's a short term you'll neutralize this threat and get Tenshi back in one piece. I wasn't too happy when James Lester stole you away from our division but I hear you're doing good things over there…..at least that's what Lester tells me."

Becker smiled a half smile and shook Barton's hand. "I don't know about that, Sir, but thank you. I'll do my best to get this done in quickly and efficiently and get this Tenshi back here alive.

Becker turned and walked out the door and turned left to the lift. His greatest concern was the liability of an unproven field agent who would need to infiltrate an area in which he had no language or cultural skills. A tech geek…..just the kind of operative one would want to take into a dangerous unstable region. Perhaps he should have consulted Connor on conversational topics…..Star Wars, The Hobbit, Anime….It was going to be a long ride to Kazakhstan. Becker entered the lift doors and pressed the button for Level two. After exiting the lift he found the office door marked with the number ten and entered. The room was for the most part dark with just a few overhead lights on. In a corner at the far end sat a lone figure with his back turned to the door hunched over a computer. He seemed so deep in thought that he did not even look up as Becker walked up behind him and cleared his throat.

"You are obviously Tenshi. I wanted to introduce myself before we get to work. My name is Captain Hilary Becker and I'm here to provide you safe passage to our destination on this mission."

The figure in the chair started suddenly and slowly swiveled to face Becker. In all his years in the military, Becker could count the number of times he had actually felt complete and utter shock on one hand but this was definitely one of those times. He couldn't hide the look on his face as the figure slowly stood up and reached forward to shake his hand as Becker's gaze moved from the tips of her blue and green heels to the top of her auburn hair.

"Your're Tenshi?" Becker's jaw dropped open.

With a cheeky grin on her face the field coordinator slowly reached forward with the tip of her finger and gently closed his mouth as she shook his hand.

"Jessica Parker, at your service…."

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Ohhhhh…..so that's how Jess was able to get the job at the ARC at such a young age….Wonder how Becker will feel about working in the field with his field coordinator. Thanks to everyone who has hung in there on this story especially those who reviewed…..I love reading them… Again the holidays are upon us but I will try to update weekly and this should be about 7 or 8 chapters…Next week….explanations and anxiety!


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

Jess took Becker's hand lightly and led him to a chair in the conference room. He continued to have a slightly dazed look on his face as if he was still processing the fact that she was the tech asset known as Tenshi. He sat down heavily as if his knees might give out at any moment.

"I can't believe YOU work for the military as a tech asset….Why haven't you mentioned it before? I'm military….wouldn't it have come up in conversation somehow?" he asked her with disbelief.

Jess gave Becker a sheepish smile. "Becker, even YOU don't have the level of clearance that would let me share that information with you! No one knows with the exception of Stephen Tillerman, who recruited me. Maybe I'd better start at the beginning….."

Becker nodded and Jess sat down next to him in a conference chair at the table and folded her legs under her as she began to talk.

"You know I went to Cambridge and studied Computer Science, right?" Becker nodded.

"You went early if I remember correctly." Becker relaxed into his chair and studied her as if he'd only seen her for the first time.

Jess continued, "Yes," she hesitated slightly, "I entered Cambridge at 14 on a part time basis. I loved studying there. Lots of people with the same interests as me and everyone there didn't think anything of my being there because our primary focus was the technology. After I'd been there for several years and not too long before I began working at the ARC, Stephen brought me a program that none of the other students had been able to hack. It was encoded on lots of levels. You have to understand that a program that can't be hacked is like an interesting puzzle to tech people. Everyone wanted to have a go at it but no one seemed to be able to figure it out. I worked on it for several days and finally was able to get into it. When I got into it, a lot of numbers and information was unlocked and I immediately called Stephen. He was amazed, first of all, that one of the students had been able to break the code after his best military computer techs hadn't been able to."

Jess stopped talking for a moment as she leaned over to pick up her coffee and take a sip before she continued.

"It doesn't surprise me," Becker said. "You're brilliant at what you do, Jess."

She blushed as she continued her story. "The information contained in the program was from a government defense database. It had lots of covert information that could be used to identify weapon cache locations and codes for defensive missiles. Dangerous stuff. He asked me if I would be willing to work for the military in a limited assignment in their tech division. In the beginning, because I was only 18 I worked from remote locations in the UK. On my last mission, I worked in Afghanistan on a base near Kabul. Not too long after that I was hired here at the ARC."

Becker smiled slightly. "You remember your last mission….when you were in Kabul? You hacked into an Al Qaida network database and inserted a program to make their defense systems blind so our military unit could evacuate the area around their camp," he said quietly.

Jess looked up as she thought and grinned when she remembered.

"Yes!" she said.

"That was us you saved. It was me you saved that day. I was in that unit. That's how I remembered your codename, Tenshi," Becker continued. He sat in the chair with a look of admiration. "I remember thinking if I ever met him, I'd buy him the biggest steak dinner available in London…"

Jess smile broadened. "That was you?" Her eyes widened. "Well, I don't fancy steak very much but I wouldn't mind fish and chips and a pint." She leaned toward him and laid her hand gently on his arm looking at him quietly. Her face became more serious. "This program is coded the same way as the previous one, Becker. It's even more insidious because when it inserts the malware, the system doesn't even recognize that it's been compromised. It continues monitoring systems and disseminating information. The malware collects that information and feeds it to it's source. Stephen called me immediately when he recognized the coding. I can do it, Becker. Once I've logged on to their system, I can insert software that will make their entire network crash. Not only will they not be able to steal information, when I'm finished with their system, they won't even be able to order a pizza online." She grinned.

Becker leaned toward her slightly and looked into her eyes. He always knew she was intelligent and resourceful but he hadn't seen this side of her. He could see the predatory gleam in her eye as she described her plan to take down the dangerous program and knew beneath her beautiful and bubbly exterior lay a worthy opponent for any hacker with malicious intent.

Jess went on. "After I returned from Afghanistan, Stephen called me into his office and told me a position at the ARC facility had opened up and encouraged me to apply and you know the rest. I haven't heard from him in several years until today."

Becker sat quietly digesting all the information Jess had just imparted. They would be working a mission. Together…. In Kazakhstan…. An unstable region where they would be attempting to take down a terrorist organization…. Rather, she would be taking down a terrorist organization. In a dangerous, unstable region. Jess. Becker felt suddenly terrified. How could her protect her? This wasn't some anonymous tech asset. It was Jess. He was emotionally involved. What emotion that was he really didn't want to put a name to. Surely he would feel the same if any of the ARC staff was involved. Friends…..yes, they were all close friends but the woman in front of him added an extra layer of anxiety to the whole situation. The thought of her in any kind of danger petrified him. He had to dissuade her. Somehow.

Becker stood up suddenly. "Jess, I'm not sure this is going to work. This is incredibly dangerous work. We are going into a region that's quite unstable. Kazakhstan is known as a region that harbors several different terrorist groups and you can't just waltz into these areas with a few missions under your belt and expect the final result to be success. I think if you teach me how to access the program I can introduce your virus into their system. You could devise a comm link so that you could talk me through it. Maybe a Sat phone system might work." He began to blather as more ideas came to his mind. Unfortunately, he was unaware of a distinct change in Jess' body language as her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed as he chattered on. She stood up promptly and began to pace in front of him as he immediately silenced himself.

Her voice was distant and angry. It wasn't a tone he had heard often and he was sure he didn't want to hear it directed towards him.

So, this is what you think of me, is it, Becker? You think because I'm not one of the staff who can physically throw the staff instructors across the room ….that I'm not capable of completing this assignment?" Her voice became louder as she continued. "I'm not a helpless girl who has never seen the inside of a covert operation, Becker? You think I'm not capable of pulling this off? I see what's happening here. You have no confidence in my skills right? Well, fine, I'll show you what I can do when it comes to computer systems. I'll ask my boss to find another security escort. I wouldn't want to compromise your ETHICS!"

Becker watched her stomp toward the door. How did she misunderstand everything he was trying to say! This wasn't about competence. Hell, she was the smartest and most competent field coordinator he'd ever encountered…..and he'd encountered many in the military doing a similar job to the one she did now but with far less skill. This was about her…..her being placed in no small amount of danger….even if it was for Queen and country. When did he start thinking of her this way? He had to make her understand. Striding toward the door, he gently took her arm and led her back to her seat as she sat down heavily in the chair waiting for him to speak.

"Jess" Becker began. "I have NO concerns about your qualifications to be on this mission." He let his voice soften. "I'm just worried about the danger involved in this assignment: the danger to you. We're….friends. My job at the ARC is to protect you….all of you….that's all. It has nothing to do with how well you can defend yourself. It's difficult for me to think of you," he quickly corrected himself, "any of you in this kind of situation."

Jess sat silently but he noticed her body language had softened. She was staring at him intently as if to discern the meaning of his words.

"Becker," Jess said as she smiled at him softly and spoke in a quiet voice, "I'm going to do this….with or without you. I have to do it. I'm the only programmer who has had experience with this program and I can't let our soldiers be put in harm's way because I'm afraid of a little risk. That's not who I am. That's not who you are either. That's why we do what we do at our day job, don't we. I know it's dangerous. I'm not unaware of that, but it's something I have to do."

He looked at her with a stunned look on his face. She was incredibly brave as well as intelligent and if they weren't sitting in the commander's office planning to embark on a hazardous mission, he knew he would be leaning in to kiss her. It seemed impossible that the emotions he felt that were associated with her continued to grow as he listened to her talk. His choice was made.

"Jess Parker, it will be my honor to be your security escort on this mission."

He grinned at her as she leaned back in her chair and relaxed again. She scooted her chair over to the computer station and motioned him to join her.

"So, Captain Becker" she said staring at the screen, "Let's form our plan of attack and take these bastards out of the game." He grinned. She really was formidable…..and incredibly beautiful….not that it mattered …..well, not that he was noticing it…..just stating a fact….He sighed. He didn't want to think about it right now. He focused his mind on the task at hand: Keep Jess Parker safe and sound till the end of this mission….then he'd think about those feelings….whatever they were.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

Hello all….I'm terribly sorry I've not been very punctual with my updates…It could be because here in the lovely midwest in the US we've been busy shoveling snow….. lots of snow…plus to make it extra fun, today it's -40 outside with the wind chill….no, really…..and that's rather significant because when it's -40 it's the same temperature in both celsius and fahrenheit…Now I must run outside and force my lovely children to come inside since they are having fun throwing pans of water in the air to see the water freeze into ice before it hits the ground and I'm just their silly mother who would like them to come inside for a bit before they lose any of their body parts to frostbite…..Now on with the story….

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Jess shifted her legs underneath her as the plane hit an air pocket and caused the cabin to bounce a bit. She opened her eyes and stared across the small table in front of her to gaze at Becker who was sitting on the large seating area across from her with his eyes closed. She took the opportunity to study him as he slept. His long lashes brushed his cheekbones and his face, which tended to be so guarded when he was awake, was relaxed and vulnerable in sleep. He looked years younger as he breathed softly and leaned his head slightly into the rolled up jacket he was using as a pillow. As she watched him sleep, she suddenly felt a wave of protectiveness sweep over her. He was depending on her on this mission just as much as she was depending on him.

Though their jobs at the ARC also required this kind of trust, this situation was different. She needed to download the malware into the terrorists' system quickly and efficiently so that their intrusion into the network wasn't detected. If she didn't complete this mission perfectly, he could be endangered as well as her. She couldn't let that happen. She needed to focus and make sure they both made it out of this unscathed. This must be how Becker felt every day at the ARC. His attention to safety protocols were well known among the soldiers and she suddenly felt that she understood so well at that moment why he felt an incredible responsibility to keep them all safe. As she watched him sleep, Jess felt another emotion stirring inside her which she knew well. In the beginning, she had dismissed the feeling as a silly crush. He was attractive and funny and there was nothing more she looked forward to each day than his stopping by the hub to tease her or make her laugh about some silly incident they'd witnessed that happened out in the field that day or to mention some part of their experience in the field that had gone particularly well because she'd anticipated some difficulty ahead of time and coordinated a fix that solved their problem. She'd watched him put other members of their team's safety ahead of his own time and again and when she told him how well he'd done, he just shrugged the compliment off as part of his job. She was in love with him. She'd figured that one out a long time ago. She also knew he felt protective towards her, like all the members of his team, and he definitely felt strong friendship for her but she really wasn't sure it was anything more than that. All that needed to be pushed aside on this mission. She had a responsibility. She would complete their assignment and get him home safely. This was something she could focus on.

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Their plane landed smoothly at Manas Military Base in the city of Bishkek. It was a U.S. military base that was nearly a 16 hour drive from the city of Astana where Becker and Jess would be meeting his contact, Vasily. Once they were able to meet with him, he would give them a base of operations to work from and from there they would connect with the agent who was working undercover in the terrorist network to get access to the program they were using. Jess reached down to check again to make sure she had the drives and software she would be using.

Becker walked down the steps from the plane to greet the British officer who would be their liaison on this mission. Colonel Fisher was a gregarious army officer with a sense of honor and duty as well as a finely developed sense of humor. Becker had known him since his days at the academy and had great trust in the man. He also was well known for the practical jokes he loved to play on members of his unit, as well as his frequent adventures in the romance department with various members of the female sex wherever they happened to be stationed.

Colonel David Fisher watched his friend walk down the steps of the aircraft followed by a shorter person he assumed was the tech asset that Becker was escorting. He walked quickly toward his friend and shook his hand heartily as he arrived him front of him. Becker smiled in greeting and clapped Fisher on the back.

"Great to see you, David. How many years has it been?" Becker said as he grasped the officer's shoulder.

"Quite a few, mate. I see they've got you working on another mission in the field again. I'd heard you were working in some top secret project back home."

Becker nodded. "Well I'm still working on that project but our old commander James Barton called me back in to act as a security escort for this mission. Let me introduce you to the technologist I'm working with."

Jess walked down the steps of plane as Becker turned and waved to her to join him. As she walked up to the two men she slid back the hood of her heavy jacket and looked up at the two officers.''

"David Fisher, I'd like you to meet Jessica Parker. She's working with the technology that will be used for this mission." Becker yelled loudly over the sound of another jet getting ready to take off from the base.

Colonel Fisher looked down in surprise. The young woman in front of him smiled as she proffered her hand to shake his and smiled up at him.

"It's Jess, Colonel Fisher and it's lovely to meet you." she spoke loudly in response.

David Fisher had met quite a few computer experts in his time in the military but never any quite as attractive as Jess Parker. Fisher's grin grew broader as he accepted the hand she offered.

"Well, Jess, it's great to meet you too. Maybe before you two leave the base I could offer you somewhere to get something to eat and get cleaned up before you begin that long drive." He picked up her backpack and offered her his arm.

Becker rolled his eyes in response as he directed his friend's attention back toward himself and walked purposefully between the two to begin walking toward the base headquarters.

"Why that's truly thoughtful of you David," said Becker with sarcasm dripping from his words. "Who knew what an accommodating officer you could be when civilians are present?" He scowled purposefully as he patently ignored Fisher and placed his hand on the small of Jessica's back and began walking toward the large building ahead of them. Fisher smirked back at Becker unrepentantly.

Jess smiled as she walked with Becker toward the dormitories and meeting rooms contained at the base. A shower and a meal would be welcome indeed.

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After a quick shower, Jess felt a little more human. The long flight had run into several rounds of turbulence. Though she didn't mind flying, her stomach had been in knots worrying about the effectiveness of the software she was using. The warm shower in the women's dormitories relaxed her and she sat down with Becker and Fisher to go over the basic tenets of their mission. Fisher was talkative and friendly and Jess had a hard time imagining him and Becker being close friends though his amicable patter did seem to relax Becker and they regaled her with several stories of their days together at Sandhurst. Jess giggled at Fisher's story of a prank they had planned to play on another cadet that had backfired when Becker, in the process of "borrowing" the fellow soldier's only clean uniform was suprised when the man arrived back at the barracks early. Becker had hurriedly climbed out the window, still holding the uniform and edged himself along the ledge, six stories up, until he found the first open window which he rapidly entered only to find out it was a visiting commander's temporary office. Becker explained that he was putting in extra practice in rappelling for his training later that day as shoved the wadded up uniform into a desk drawer in the corner. Though the commander believed his story, he was unable to get into the office to return the uniform and there was much speculation how the missing uniform had vanished. Several days later Becker slipped into the office on the pretense of retrieving paperwork for an instructor and the uniform magically reappeared in the cadet's closet.

While Jess wished that she could hear more about Becker's days at the academy she felt a yawn slip from her without being able to stop it.

She grimaced. "Sorry, gentlemen, as much as I love hearing about Becker's exploits…" she made a teasing face at him, "I really need to check this software before I go to bed."

Both Becker and Fisher assured her they understood and stood up as she left the table to go to her room in the dormitory.

"See you in the morning Becker and David it was nice to meet you," she said as she grabbed her laptop and walked up the stairs to her room.

The men sat back down at the table as Fisher leaned toward Becker. "Wow…..she's amazing…funny, smart…wish one of the computer techs I've worked with looked like that!" He whistled softly.

Becker scowled over the table at Fisher and took another gulp of his beer. "Well, she IS amazing and I just want to make sure we get this mission completed on schedule and safely so I can get her back to her day job in one piece."

"Sooooo….I'm due to be transferred back to London next month. Is she seeing anyone? Think she'd be interested in having dinner with me? Maybe you could put in a good word for me," Fisher said, looking expectantly at his friend.

Becker hesitated for one moment ...before he leaned in to say softly "Well, she doesn't talk about personal things much, but she does have a boyfriend…and he's a huge bloke with a nasty temper. They live together and he wasn't too happy about her coming on this mission with me but, of course, Jess convinced him we're just friends. You can take your chances there but, mate, but I'd think really hard about whether you need those kind of entanglements." He leaned back in his chair and took another sip of beer. Fisher sat back in his chair with a speculative look on his face and finally sighed.

"Well, truth told mate, she might be worth trouble, but I'm looking at a promotion in a few months and I guess I don't need the aggro with jealous boyfriends on my record. Too bad…..not only is she fit, but brilliant too…," He took his last gulp of beer and clapped Becker on the back as he stood up and stretched his arms. "Best of luck, mate and make sure you both get back in one piece." Fisher shook Becker's hand and walked out of the room towards the barracks as Becker sat back down for a few moments quietly sipping his drink. He didn't know why he felt the need to tell David that lie. It wasn't something he felt good about. David was a great guy and for all his talk, he would be a perfect gentlemen but Becker couldn't stand the thought of Fisher asking her out…..or anyone asking her out if he was honest….maybe after this mission he needed to give serious thought to what his feelings for Jess Parker were…as well as what he planned, if anything, to do about it…But now he needed to focus on the task at hand…..protecting her and helping her complete their mission should and would be his primary focus…...He put down his glass and started toward the barracks to get a few hours sleep before they left the next morning.

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Thanks for staying with this story and reviewing...I do love getting them!


	7. Chapter 7

The alarm blared at 4:00 as Jess rolled over and slapped it violently. Though she was generally a morning person, this morning she could have used a few more hours of sleep. Dressing quickly in a soft blue button up oxford and brown casual pants, she reached down to tie her boots and grabbed her equipment. After making a mental check that she had everything she would need plus all her gear, she walked down the stairs and exited the door into the dark of early morning. Becker had instructed her to meet at the car park where they would be issued a non-descript vehicle to drive to Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. It would be there that they would first meet Becker's contact: the operative named Vasily, and then set up a meeting with the tech operative inside the Red Line terrorist group.

In the dark of the morning, Becker was standing next to a drab colored vehicle. It was an older Russian model that Jess didn't even recognize. She stifled a yawn as she stowed her gear in the back of the car and climbed into the front seat. Becker reached on top of the car and handed her a large coffee with a large odd looking pastry that looked fresh and actually quite appetizing. Jess opened her eyes wide when she saw the coffee and broke out in a smile when he handed her the pastry. With a grateful smile at her thoughtful partner, she sipped her coffee and took a bite of the warm pastries as her eyes widened.

"Becker?" she said as she looked at him, "This is a frothy coffee with two sugars and extra cream…..exactly as I like it! How in the world did you know?"

Even in the low light of the car park, Jess could see the light blush on his cheeks.

"Oh, well…" he stammered. "Temple is always talking about how you and Abby always have to have a coffee made a certain way every morning or you're scary to have a conversation with in the break room."

Jess smiled and closed her eyes. "Well, this pastry is amazing and it's still warm." This partner thing is working out better than I thought. Keep this up and I may have to marry you…" Jess' eyes popped open as the last word came out. She really needed to let her thoughts process through her brain this early in the morning before they actually exited through her mouth. She glanced over at Becker who had his eyes firmly on the road.

"Well…I meant to say….I need to have you make me a coffee at the ARC before you start your shift each morning….." she said quickly as she dipped her head down to take another large sip of coffee. "….and also that before 8:00 in the morning I may say things…..embarrassing things that my partner on this mission would have the decency not to repeat to our coworkers or tease me mercilessly about after said mission is successfully completed…"

Becker smiled at the road in front of him. "Can't make any promises like that, can I?" He glanced at her across the seat. "But….this car is equipped with an audio recorder so I CAN play them back for our coworkers at a later date, right?" His grin became sadistic.

Jess sat up suddenly. "Really?...an audio recorder…..If I fall asleep I do have a tendency to snore a bit ….."

Becker raised an eyebrow at her and began to grin. "You think they would bother with one in this old wreck?"

She threw a wadded up napkin at him…"Oh….you…" but let a small smile play across her face.

They rode along in companionable silence until Jess fell asleep leaning against the window. She woke up when daylight was well on its way as they drove down a deserted highway.

Becker looked over at her. "Well, princess, did we finally decide to arise," he teased.

Jess looked over at him and stuck her tongue out.

"…..oh, and by the way, you DO snore ….."

She looked at him in alarm until she figured out he was teasing her again.

"Have you been to Kazakhstan before?" she asked him.

"Yea, I've been to Astana which is the capital, several times before and of course to the base we just left. It's really a beautiful country. Near the Chinese border there's a gorgeous canyon, the Charyn Canyon, that's absolutely beautiful."

Becker began to tell her about the time he'd spent there and some of the people he worked with. Kazakhstan had two official languages: Russian and Kazakh, both were accepted equally but in recent years more emphasis was placed on the Kazakh language since many native Russians had emigrated into other Russian satellite countries after independence from Russia was declared.

Jess relaxed into the car's seat as she listened to him. She had never had the opportunity to converse casually with him about his life before the ARC. Sitting here with him and having a normal conversation about life that didn't involve dinosaurs or paperwork or world ending anomalies was a wonderful gift. He was dressed casually in a moss green T-shirt that matched his hazel eyes and jeans. The only black piece of clothing he was wearing were his boots. She rarely saw him in civilian clothing and decided she definitely liked it and for a minute she let the fantasy that they were a couple on holiday play across her mind. The long drive passed pleasantly between them with one of them talking about their younger years and about personnel at the ARC. Almost too soon for Jess, they arrived at a small home on the outside of town that Becker told Jess was his contact, Vasily's house.

Becker parked the car and walked to the front door of the home. Becker knocked and the door was answered by a rather stout man in his early 40's. He greeted Becker in the traditional way and both men spoke Russian as Becker gestured to Jess to come and join them.

Once inside, Vasily, turned to both of them and continued the conversation in English.

"Ahh…..I trust your trip was not too difficult" he said with a sincere smile.

Jess smiled at him as Becker turned to introduce her.

"Vasily Romanov, this is my partner on this mission, Jess" Becker said.

Jess reached her hand toward the plump, older man as he shook it vigorously.

"This is your partner, Hilary? The "Secret Weapon" I hear from your Colonel about? I am thinking that I need to let my Russian superiors know that I am expecting such a lovely partner on my next assignment!" he informed them with a loud belly laugh. "I know we do not have time for friendly talk as your contact in the Red Line organization is meeting you at the Dancing Bear in an hour. Come….we will talk in the automobile on the way to the bar."

Becker and Jess walked to the garage as the man grabbed his keys and ushered them into an older model Russian Lada. The drive into town wasn't more than 30 minutes and when they arrived, Vasily parked the car.

"I will be across the street. I am needing another pack of cigarettes. I will meet you back at the car when your business is complete," he said as he crossed the road to a small tobacco shop across the square. Becker turned to Jess as they began walking through the door of the bar.

"Jess, I need to meet with this guy alone. I need you to sit out of sight near the door until I'm done talking with him. Since you don't speak Russian, we don't want to be speaking English here until I'm sure we're not being watched," he whispered.

"But, Becker…." Jess began as Becker cut her off.

"Jess, tech is your area but security is mine. You need to trust me on this and let me lead on this part, yeah?" Becker whispered.

Jess sighed and rolled her eyes as she nodded and pointedly found a corner out of sight in the bar to stay until Becker completed the meeting. Walking to the back of the dark room, Becker immediately noticed a man at a table who immediately met his eyes. Becker strolled over to the table and was approached by a waitress. He ordered two vodkas as he turned to the man at the table.

"You are here for work or pleasure?" asked the man casually. Becker stared straight ahead.

"Oh, for work. The oil company I work for sends me here several time a year" answered Becker. The waitress returned with their drinks, set them on the table, and left. The man picked up his drink and slid a piece of paper across the table. Becker picked it up and slid it into his pocket.

"Good. You will meet me tomorrow at that location and we will conduct business. I am afraid the two men in black at the end of the bar have taken notice of us. You will need to find a discreet way to leave this place separate from me," he sipped at his drink as Becker looked at the men sitting at the bar. They were definitely feigning disinterest now but he knew the look well. Looking around the room he searched desperately for a distraction that would allow his contact to leave quietly without being noticed. Suddenly he became aware of loud laughing coming from the bar. Several men were gathered around a woman with her back to him. They were listening to a rather loud, drunken account of a fight with her boyfriend and expressing their sympathies while staring at her cleavage visible from a blue blouse with more than several buttons undone. He couldn't see her face but he was certainly grateful for the gift of an inconspicuous exit for his contact. He started toward the door where Jess had been sitting and found her seat empty. Trying not to panic, he whirled around to find himself in the middle of the small group of men and the young woman. As he tried to excuse himself, the woman turned to face him fully and promptly slapped him across the face as she addressed him in Russian.

"…and THIS is my boyfriend who has left me for my best friend, Ludmilla! My best friend! I think that they DESERVE each other!"

Becker found himself staring into a pair of beautiful blue eyes…..Jess Parker's eyes….but, she was speaking Russian….how…and it suddenly dawned on him. If Jess was working with Russian coding she most certainly needed to speak Russian to do it. He remembered a long ago conversation with her about her Russian grandmother and he felt more than a little foolish…but, now was the time to help her extricate themselves from the bar as he threw both hands in the air.

"Katje," he yelled loudly with a slight slurring of his words. "You did not listen to me when I told you nothing was going on! You only listen to your poisonous mother who wishes to break us apart! Now come home with me immediately!" He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him as he leaned down to kiss her, slanting his lips across hers and taking possession of her mouth. For her part, Jess immediately dropped the drink she was holding and stood for a second stunned before her arms snaked around his neck and began kissing him back properly. One of the men stood up, rather unsteadily, to protest but noticing the intensity of the kiss, he knew his cause was lost. For his part, Becker almost forgot where he was…..Hell, he nearly forgot WHO he was, but quickly recovered and ended the kiss naturally. He cleared his throat.

"…..and now Katje, you will come home and fix dinner for me… and for our six, wonderful children."

The remaining men who had waited hoping "Katje" would be staying a bit longer, quickly gather up their belongings at the mention of six children and exited the bar. Becker took Jess' hand and exited the door as they walked toward the parked car. As they stood near the car, Becker nervously glanced at Jess as she stared up at him quizzically.

"Well, I'd say we've figured out how to play our secret agents part pretty well, right?" he said quickly. Jess laughed nervously.

"Yeah….ummm…..I knew those men were watching you and you needed a distraction. That's why ….you know…I did all that…..well ….you know, that "scenario" back there….."

Sure. That made sense to Becker. It was all part of the "scenario…" Meanwhile he was having trouble looking anywhere other than her face or the cleavage she displayed with her low cut shirt. Jess looked down realizing it was still unbuttoned and quickly buttoned up the shirt as she pulled her hair back into the braid she was wearing when they arrived.

Vasily walked to meet them from across the street and the three of them got into the vehicle and drove back to his house. Becker looked across the seat at the "secret weapon" as Vasily had referred to her and prayed that the rest of the mission would go as planned and he would have her back at the ARC safe in a few days. He was hoping for no surprises on this mission but Jess Parker seemed determine to surprise him at every turn.


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